Blood of the Phoenix
by X5R-731
Summary: What if Max had died during the raid on Manticore? Alternate ending to AJBAC...
1. And Mary Magdalene Brought Cake

_**Disclaimer:** Dark Angel belongs lock, stock, and smoking barrel to James Cameron & Co. I own none of it. No reason for legal action_

**BLOOD OF THE PHOENIX**

By

X5R-731

**PART 1**: And Mary Magdalene Brought Cake …

Zack stared past the rifle barrel at, well, himself. A ten-year-old clone of him stared back at him coldly and Zack knew that the X7 would kill him without a second thought. Suddenly there was a gunshot and the X7 flopped backwards without making a sound.

"Zack," came a familiar hoarse voice. "Zack are you all right?"

Zack groaned. Rescued by Lydecker, he was never going to live this down.

Lydecker jogged up to where Zack was lying and knelt down next to him. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

"I'm fine," Zack growled. When Lydecker moved to help him up, he shook him off. "I said I'm alright."

Zack pulled him self to his feet and limped/ran back to the van, Lydecker covering the rear. They met up with Krit and Syl at the van.

"Krit get the van started." Lydecker ordered.

"Where're Max and Logan," Syl demanded.

"Don't know. We lost contact with Max and Cale went after her."

"We're not leaving without Max," Zack stated.

"There's no time. The X7's and base security-"

Zack jammed his gun in Lydecker's throat and said menacingly, "We're – not – leaving."

"You heard him. Start the damn van!"

Everyone looked up to see Logan racing towards them, carrying Max in his arms. She was as limp as a broken doll and her breathing was dangerously shallow.

"Max," Zack cried.

Lydecker grabbed Zack by his injured arm and practically threw him into the van. "Get in the goddamn van!"

Everyone piled into the van, while Krit gunned the engine. Base security arrived just in time to see their unmarked vehicle disappear into the night. In the van, Lydecker was examining Max's wound. It was bad. She was bleeding profusely and he was certain an artery had been pierced.

"Logan," Max said weakly.

"I'm here."

She looked up at him with her big expressive brown eyes. "I have to tell you something. Something I should have told you … a long time ago."

"It can wait."

Lydecker admired Cale's composure and optimism, but he must see that she was dying. He was positive nothing short of a heart transplant could save her now, and while they had no shortage of donors, none of them had been trained with that particular skill. When Lydecker saw Max smile sadly up at Cale, Lydecker knew that she had deduced her fate.

"Thank you," she said weakly. "Thank you so much … for showing me what it's like … to be human …"

"Max," Logan choked, unable to say anything else. Lydecker could tell by the look on Cale's face that he understood what Max was saying – she was saying good-bye.

"I love you," she continued. "I can say that now … and not be scared … I love you …"

"Max," Logan tried to speak but was too overwhelmed with emotion. "Don't …"

"Logan …" Max's eye's closed and her head lulled to one side, resting in the crook of Logan's elbow, as if she'd just gone to sleep.

"Max," Logan rasped, clutching her to him tightly. "No."

"Max!" Zack screamed. "Max!"

Lydecker reached over to check her pulse and found none. He shut his eyes tight to hold back his own tears, then ordered Syl to tend to Zack. Cale just held Max's lifeless body gibbering softly to himself, staring into nothingness with eyes dead to the rest of the world around him.

Back at their temporary headquarters, the rogue X5's and their surrogate father were going over their next step while mourning the loss of one of their own. (Logan had been left alone in the van with Max's body to grieve.) They'd dealt Manticore a severe blow, but Renfro was a past master at covering her own ass, so they should be alert about Manticore's status. Unfortunately, with Max dead and Logan incapacitated, they were effectively leaderless. None of them trusted Lydecker and Zack's ideas verged on the suicidal.

"We have intruders," Krit announced, pointing at the surveillance monitor Logan had installed. Three individuals on bikes could be seen just outside.

"I know them," Zack said. "They worked with Max. What're they doing here?"

"I called them." Logan appeared looking haggard but determined.

"What!"

"They have as much right to be here as any of us."

Logan marched passed Zack and the others and opened the main door. Original Cindy, Herbal Thought and Sketchy entered, looking around warily at their surroundings and the strangers in front of them. Original Cindy addressed the one person in the room she recognized.

"Logan, what's all this about?"

"Follow me," he said somberly.

He led them to the van and pulled back the sheet he had carefully wrapped Max's body in. Upon seeing Max's body, Original Cindy covered her mouth and turned away sobbing, Herbal began swearing in a most un-Herbal-like way and Sketchy removed his bandana.

"This ain't happenin'" Sketchy said numbly. "This ain't happening'"

"Who's responsible for dis," Herbal demanded, glaring at the group accusingly.

"Cindy," Logan said calmly. "You feel up to explaining it to them? They'll believe it if it comes from you."

Wiping her eyes, Cindy nodded and began to explain Max's bizarre life story to her fellow Jam Pony riders.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Lydecker spoke up. "But we seriously need to consider our next move. First off we need to loose the van. Then there's the matter of Max's body."

"Cremation," Logan stated. "It's the only way to make sure they don't get their hooks into her again."

The van was moved outside with Max in the back. Each of the paid one last respect to their sister, friend, pupil and something more before she and the vehicle were doused with gasoline. When they were all a safe distance away, it was Logan who tossed the match onto the flammable structure. As the van exploded into a fireball, they all watched in solemn silence, keeping it going until there was nothing left but charred scrap metal and ashes.

It was Lydecker who stepped into the spent pyre and dug out the near indestructible Red chip. He tossed it into the harbour, just in case Renfro tried to trace it like he had. They watched as the mourning breeze scattered the ashes, none of them willing to put into words the creeping feeling that this was not over.

To Be Continued …


	2. Alliances Forged

_**Disclaimer:** Dark Angel belongs lock, stock, and smoking barrel to James Cameron & Co. I own none of it. No reason for legal action_

**BLOOD OF THE PHOENIX**

By

X5R-731

**PART 2**: Alliances Forged

"Are you sure this is a good idea," asked Syl.

"Probably not," Logan replied honestly. "But we need some extra fire power, and they're the best ones to give it."

"I still don't see why we can't wait to hear from Zack."

"Because we don't know how long it'll be before we here from them and I'd rather no give the people behind Manticore a chance to regroup."

They stopped in front of a park bench.

"Right, this is the place. Is Krit in position?"

Syl nodded. "Should be by now."

"Excellent. You better do the same."

"Okay." Syl melted expertly into her surroundings.

Logan sat down on the bench observing the other park dwellers. Children playing on swings and jungle gyms, with their parents looking on; Couples of varying ages strolling and enjoying each other's company – it had been a long time since he'd done that. After the disaster that was his marriage, he had buried himself in his work and later establishing Eyes Only. It had been a long time since he'd opened himself up to anyone and by the time he felt he was ready, it was too late.

His mind drifted to the events of the past month. Lydecker had wanted to pursue his own investigation as to Manticore's status, but understandably the X5's had been reluctant to let him out of their sight. Zack volunteered to keep an eye on him, calling in Jondy and collecting the others to give him a hand.

Logan had spent the better part of a week on his couch before Syl and Krit managed to galvanize him back to continuing his work with Eyes Only. He wasn't sure if they knew he was Eyes Only or not, but decided to continue as if they didn't. Original Cindy, Sketchy and Herbal had volunteered their services over Lydecker and Zack's objections. Logan had pointed out that Jam Pony Messengers knew every inch of this city and could get into places even an X5 would have difficulty. Besides if nothing else, their collective rage over their friend's death could make them an asset they couldn't afford to pass up. It was his need to avenge Max that led him here today.

He thought about how he would enjoy taking Manticore apart, piece by piece, watch Renfro and her cronies squirm as everything they worked for was taken from them. Just as they'd taken Max away from him. And after he'd made them suffer everything he had, he would make sure no one would have to through what he had again. Eyes Only was all he had left and he'd use it to its full potential.

"Logan."

Logan smiled and looked up. "Asha."

Blonde and blue-eyed, Asha Barlow was the epitome of the All-American girl. Her tattered blue jeans and pink hooded sweatshirt couldn't take away from her homegrown beauty.

"It's been a long time."

"Four years. I'm not sure I thanked you for what you tried to do for my mother."

"I'm sorry it wasn't enough."

"Still," she said bitterly. "It was more than anyone else did."

Margaret Curran, widow of magazine publisher Zane Barlow, had been a rare breed – an honest politician and the only one with the courage to challenge Mayor Beltrane's bid for a fourth term. The race had been a dead heat until the day before the election when her bullet-ridden limo and the bodies of her son and Campaign Chairperson were found inside. Of Curran, there was no trace. Shortly there after, the Pacific Free Press was shut down. Logan and Asha had met at a political rally he'd been covering for the Pacific Free Press. Asha had seemed interested in him at the time, but Logan (freshly divorced) wasn't interested in any type of relationship at the time.

"Thanks for coming to Illya's funeral, too, by the way. I really appreciate it." After a pause, she added, "However, I doubt you asked me here to talk about old wounds."

Logan smiled and stood up. "No. Tell me, what do you know about Eyes Only?"

From a safe distance away, Krit and Syl observed the exchange while keeping an eye on possible S1W agents.

"I still don't see why we need her," Syl grumbled. "We were doing just fine on are own."

"One battle doesn't win a war," Krit said. "If we're going to take down Manticore for good we need all the allies we can get."

"I just don't see why it had to be her."

"It isn't her specifically. S1W is the only organization whose goals are the same as Logan's. They're just more direct about it. Besides the fact that Logan and Barlow know each other will just facilitate the alliance faster."

"What're they doing now?"

"He's giving her the file. Shaking of the hands. Touching of the lips-"

"What!"

Krit smirked. "Looks like we're in business."

Syl shot Krit a dirty look and returned to Logan's car. Logan joined them a few minutes later.

"How'd it go," Syl asked.

"We're in," Logan answered. "It's only a matter of time now."

The next three months were a blur of missions and information gathering. Eventually rumours began to circulate that Eyes Only had allied himself with S1W, which caused many officials considerable unease. And when an untraceable hacker was accessing top-secret files about a covert genetics research project, this caused certain individuals even more concern.

One such person was Elizabeth Renfro, Director of the Manticore Project. She stalked down the halls of the project's new headquarters towards the main research lab followed by X5-734 (she refused to call her by that silly name the others in her platoon had given her). The last few months had been a disaster. After the raid and decades of work had been destroyed, funding began to dry up. It was only through sheer will power the project hadn't been shut down completely. Renfro entered the lab to come face-to-face with Manticore's founder and chief research scientist, Charles Sandeman.

"What do you want," he demanded contemptuously.

A frail looking old man with a thick British accent, he had a will of iron. Renfro had to remind herself that he wasn't some absent-minded academic, he had built Manticore from the ground up and fought tooth and claw to prevent the government from taking complete control. The only reason he'd stayed on was to look after the anomalies in the basement.

"We'll be implementing the breeding program."

"What," he thundered.

"It's the only way to keep them from shutting us down completely."

"Maybe that would be for the best," he said bitterly turning back to a monitor he'd been watching. On it was a pair of X6 sparing playfully.

"Is that what you want, professor? To have your work-"

"My work? My work! My work was destroyed thirty years ago, when those scheming power brokers pulling your strings commandeered my project and used it for their own selfish ends. Just look at what you did to Brin. She was one of my finest creations and look what you did to her."

"We fixed her. She works fine."

"She isn't a Buick! She was a living, thinking human being and you took away everything that made her special. Turning her into just another mindless myrmidon."

"It's what they're for."

"If you wanted robots you should've stuck with the artificial intelligence program you stole."

"You know how dangerous they are. They have to be controlled."

"They were no more dangerous than any other human being until the like of you got your claws into them. And how would you like to test the control. Why don't you tell her what really happened to Tinga and Kavi and Vida-"

"Enough professor," Renfro shouted, fighting down panic. She wasn't sure what 734 would do if she learned the true fate of her brother and sisters, and she wasn't interested in finding out. "The program will start immediately. Extra hormones will be added to their rations. I expect you to start genetic matching for optimum success, do we have an understanding?"

"Of course."

After she left, Sandeman looked back at the monitor of the sparing X6's. They didn't have the imagination to give each other names, so he called the Sarah and Carl. Neither of them would make very good soldiers: Carl lacked a killer instinct and Sarah threw up at the sight of blood. Left alone to their own devices they'd probably hook up on their own, but with Renfro's new hair-brained scheme …

He pulled out his phone and after making sure it was secure, dialed a number he never thought he'd use again.

"It's me," he said when the other end picked up.

"Who was that," Zack demanded when Lydecker hung up his cell.

The two of them had been crisscrossing the continent collecting what was left of the 09 escapees. Jondy, Zane and Garth all jumped at the chance to take the fight to Manticore.

"A friend on the inside," he said. "Get the others, we're heading back to Seattle."

Lydecker called Cale.

"How did you get this number?"

"That's not important. What is important is that I got a lead on where Manticore's new location."

"I'm listening."

To Be Continued …


End file.
